Free Agent Rumors: Paul Maholm, Dan Wheeler

Two Pittsburgh Pirates free agent rumors, after a few weeks of little to no news:

-Dejan Kovacevic reports that the Pirates have had discussions with Paul Maholm, although a return seems unlikely. Kovacevic mentions that the Pirates are looking to upgrade the rotation, but that those additions will probably come from non-roster invitees, rather than a high profile addition. We heard earlier that the Pirates agreed to sign Jo-Jo Reyes to a minor league deal.

-Phil Mackey of ESPN 1500 has an article on the Minnesota Twins' bullpen search. He mentions that one of the targets, Dan Wheeler, has drawn interest from the Pirates. However, he adds that one baseball person indicated that Neal Huntington isn't ready to offer a guaranteed contract. Wheeler turned 34 in December, and has a 3.65 ERA in 155.1 innings over the last three years, with a 7.5 K/9, a 1.9 BB/9, and a 1.4 HR/9 ratio....

Tim is the owner and editor in chief of Pirates Prospects. He started the site in January 2009, and turned it into his full time job during the 2011 season. Prior to starting Pirates Prospects, Tim worked with AccuScore.com, providing MLB, NHL, and NFL coverage to various national media outlets, including ESPN Insider, USA Today, Yahoo Sports, and the Wall Street Journal. He also writes the annual Prospect Guide, which is sold through the site. Tim lives in Bradenton, where he provides live coverage all year of Spring Training, mini camp, instructs, the Bradenton Marauders, and the GCL Pirates.